Top Five Moments For Scarborough Athletic During Their Exile From The Town

Today (17th April) marks an important moment in the history of Scarborough Athletic whatever the outcome of their derby clash with Tadcaster Albion.

The match against the Albion is the Boro’s final league fixture in exile as they are set to move back to Scarborough following their spell at Bridlington Town’s Queensgate ground.

Ahead of the match, we’ve picked out our top five moments for the during their time away from home.

Scarborough Athletic 2-6 Barton Town Old Boys – Saturday 25th August 2007
This was the first home league game of Scarborough Athletic’s existence, and therefore the first ever such game for the club in Bridlington. Nobody knew what sort of crowd to expect, and in the event, it was an impressive 591. But most of them went home bitterly disappointed after the newly promoted Swans gave Boro a lesson that the debut season wasn’t going to be a bed of roses. A Gareth Barlow hat-trick helped them to a 6-2 win, with Scott Phillips scoring Scarborough’s first ever home goal from the penalty spot. It remains the club’s biggest home league defeat to this day!

Scarborough Athletic 3-0 Brighouse Town – Tuesday 24th March 2009
Three days after clinching promotion at Teversal, Boro knew a win at home to Brighouse Town would clinch the NCEL division 1 title, and the club’s first silverware. With four games to play after this one it was surely a matter of when, not if, but with sky sports news cameras at the ground, the club eased to a comfortable 3-0 win helped by a very early goal. The chairman was then lifted up by the fans in the crowd!

Scaborough Athletic 13-0 Brodsworth Welfare – Saturday 24th April 2010
Boro’s first season in the NCEL Premier had been a mixed bag – tremendous at home but somewhat mediocre away. We had even struggled to a 1-0 win away at whipping boys Brodsworth in a howling gale. But in spring-like conditions back at ‘fortress’ Queensgate, the relegated team, with just 2 points to their name all season, were put to the sword and it was hard not to feel for them in a way. Ryan Blott, Rob Northen and Craig Palmer all netted hat tricks as Boro ran riot, scoring 7 in the first half and 6 after the break. It remains Athletic’s biggest ever win and is more than likely going to remain that way!

Scarborough Athletic 2-0 Retford United – Saturday 20th April 2013
A titanic tussle for the one promotion spot from the NCEL had been developing between Boro, their landlords Bridlington Town, and Brighouse Town. By the 13th April it was down to two, and after a dramatic win at Brighouse, Boro were hot favourites, but still had to overcome a tricky looking Retford side. A total of 890 people turned up, and goals from Bryan Hughes and Tony Hackworth gave the seadogs the win. But the title would have to wait until the following week – or so the fans thought. Brighouse were winning 3-0 at Barton, the champagne was on ice. But suddenly Barton came right back into it, and when news spread around the ground of their equaliser like wildfire, the celebrations in the crowd began. Moments later, both results were confirmed, Boro were champions and the trophy was presented to a jubilant Tony Hackworth.

Scarborough Athletic 0-0 Ossett Town – Tuesday 21st February 2017
A poignant one but one that still had to be included in this list. Barely two hours before the kick-off the club learned of long-time chairman Dave Holland’s death at the age of 59. The game, however, went ahead, in front of a very emotional crowd, (albeit the lowest home crowd of the season) and with the players somehow having to play a game of football under such difficult circumstances. In the end, a 0-0 draw, helped by an impressive penalty save from Joe Green on his home debut, kick started an unbeaten run (6 wins and 2 draws) that has seen the club, at the time of writing, on the verge of the play-off spots, with everyone at the club desperately wanting to “Do it for Dave”.